Our North American Environmental Report

Let's go greener

Let’s face it: there’s only one planet Earth. That’s why we focus on environmentally sustainable solutions in everything we do and every vehicle we make. From our 14 North American manufacturing plants to the more than 1 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles produced in the U.S., we are at the forefront of innovating for a brighter tomorrow.

Fast Facts

Vehicles

Cars drivers love - for a planet we all do

How do you balance a passion for performance with a love for the planet? It’s a question our engineers answer every day. We’re creating vehicles that are safe, practical and fun to drive – while at the same time ensuring our cars and trucks are at the forefront of environmental engineering. Today, with more than 2 million Toyota hybrid vehicles on U.S. roads – more than any other manufacturer – and new breakthroughs in plug-in, electric, and hydrogen fuel-cell technologies, we’re building better cars for the road and for the Earth.

Advanced Technology Vehicles

Take a look at the next generation of vehicles that are revolutionizing sustainable mobility.

The best of both worlds, made better

In 1997 we introduced the world to Prius – the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle. By combining an ultra-efficient gasoline engine with a self-charging electric motor, Prius proved that driving could be cleaner, smarter and still a whole lot of fun. Today, our family of hybrid vehicles has grown to include Camry, Avalon and Highlander. In fact, 6 out of every 10 hybrid vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2014 were made by Toyota.

Thanks to our community of hybrid drivers (they’re a passionate bunch), and Toyota hybrid drivers all around the world, an estimated 49 million tons of CO2 emissions have been prevented from entering the atmosphere. What began as a little experiment has started a clean driving revolution worldwide.

Plug in, charge up, peace out

One small step for hybrid technology creates one giant leap for fuel efficiency. Plug-in hybrid technology represents the latest advancement in fuel efficiency and practicality.

Launched in 2012, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid uses Toyota’s intelligent energy management system to monitor a driver’s energy use. The result? Drivers can cut gasoline consumption by as much as a third, compared to a conventional Prius.

Sure the numbers are impressive: 62 MPH on battery power alone, an EPA-estimated 540 mile Driving Range rating, 95 MPG equivalent efficiency.* But what’s really impressive is the potential of plug-ins to push the boundaries of what technology can achieve. We’re pretty charged up about that.

* EPA-rated driving range when vehicle is fully charged. Excludes driving conditions. Actual mileage will vary. MPGe based on 2013 EPA ratings. Actual MPGe will vary based on driving habits, charging practice, battery age, weather, temperature, and road/traffic conditions. Battery capacity will decrease with time and use. For more information on MPGe and range, please see www.fueleconomy.gov.

Get to know the Plug-In Hybrid

Want to know even more about the Plug-In Hybrid? Take a look at a few of the programs available and read our FAQ.

Zero emissions, unlimited potential

Electric vehicles have been around for a long time, and yet they represent a real challenge: how to create one that’s not only functional, but also fun for drivers as well. We’re up for that challenge.

We have been at the forefront of electric vehicle technology for more than 40 years. We've partnered with Tesla Motors to kick the next generation of electric vehicles into high gear with the RAV4 EV. The RAV4 EV offers an EPA-rated fuel economy of 76 MPG-equivalent* on a lithium-ion battery that’s able to replenish itself within five hours.**

* EPA-rated driving range when vehicle is fully charged. Excludes driving conditions. Actual mileage will vary. MPGe based on 2013 EPA ratings. Actual MPGe will vary based on driving habits, charging practice, battery age, weather, temperature, and road/traffic conditions. Battery capacity will decrease with time and use. For more information on MPGe and range, please see www.fueleconomy.gov. **Charging times when vehicle is in Normal Mode and ambient temperature is at 77 degrees F. Charging times will vary with ambient temperature.

Electric vehicles in motion

A fuel emission that isn’t a lot of hot air

A vehicle whose sole emission is water? That’s the incredible promise of fuel cell technology. We’re taking that promise and making it a reality with our hydrogen-powered, fuel cell vehicle. Making its debut at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Toyota Mirai offers an approximate driving range of 300 miles and can be refueled in three to five minutes.

We’re excited that, beginning in 2015, Toyota fuel cell vehicles will be available for sale or lease in North America. It’s why we took the promise of hydrogen power and finally gave it wheels.

Get charged about the FCV

View an interactive demonstration of how the FCV works, as well as plans for the future of this revolutionary vehicle.

TEMA North America, Inc.

Rebuilding the nature of auto manufacturing

We believe the best way to impact the environment is to have as little impact as possible. That’s why we rely on a rigorous and efficient operations process that limits the amount of energy and water we use and the amount of waste we generate. Done right and responsibly, we feel it’s a perfect example of how to reconcile nature with the nature of doing business.

Big steps to smaller carbon footprints

Energy efficiency is key to reducing the carbon footprint of our operations. We received our 10th consecutive ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year — Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. EPA. Our 14 manufacturing plants have reduced energy use by almost 11 billion kilowatt hours in the last decade, enough to power nearly 400,000 average U.S. households for an entire year.

We also look for ways to use alternative energy sources. Our assembly plant in Kentucky will generate green power from local landfill gas, enough for the production of 10,000 vehicles per year.

Doing more with less

Water is a precious resource — one that people, industry and nature all need to survive. That’s why our approach to water stewardship emphasizes both conservation and working with stakeholders.

Conserving water means finding creative ways to use less and recycle more. Five of our North American plants have installed reverse osmosis concentrate recovery systems. These systems filter and purify water that previously was discharged from our plants to a local water treatment facility, which helps us save 73 million gallons of water per year. That’s enough to fill 110 Olympic-size swimming pools.

Our assembly plant in Texas uses recycled water from the city of San Antonio. Since opening in 2007, the plant has used about 1.9 billion gallons of recycled water instead of drawing fresh water from the Edwards Aquifer, which has had limits on pumping since the early 1990’s. That’s good for Toyota and good for the city.

Ship to Shore

Reduce, reuse, recycle and respect

Minimizing waste and conserving natural resources are fundamental to our mission of Respect for the Planet. Our team members and associates focus on reducing all kinds of waste — from office trash to cafeteria scraps and industrial waste — using the practices we all know: reduce, reuse and recycle.

Efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle earned Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) the 2013 WasteWise Large Business Partner of the Year award from the U.S. EPA. This marks the fourth consecutive year Toyota sales and logistics facilities have received a WasteWise award. The WasteWise awards program recognizes organizations’ efforts to reduce refuse, increase recycling and purchase environmentally preferable products.

Over the past four years, TMS facilities recycled or avoided production of more than 304 million pounds of trash. That’s equal to the weight of 1,843 Endeavor space shuttles.

How do you recycle 10 space shuttles?

That’s how much waste Toyota has collected during household waste collection drives over the past 20 years.

Rebuilding nature, with nature

Pollinators move pollen from the male to the female part of a flower to fertilize the plant. One of the more well-known pollinators is the monarch butterfly. Their numbers have been declining in recent years. To help reverse this trend, several Toyota locations, including the plants in Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi and Indiana, committed to certifying Monarch Waystation Habitats. Waystation habitats provide milkweed for larvae and energy sources from wildflower nectar for adult butterflies.

The site of our assembly plant in Mississippi contains the perfect habitat for wood ducks. Imagine the delight when team members discovered baby wood ducks in some of the nesting boxes they had installed one year ago. The plant’s efforts to protect wildlife earned them Wildlife Habitat Council certification in 2014.

The Nature of a Plant

Our plant in Indiana has over 130,000 reasons why its environmental efforts are gaining traction.

Education Park

Community

Building cleaner vehicles isn’t the only way we work to make the world a cleaner place. We take the same environmental passion used to build our vehicles and apply it toward building better communities where we live, work and serve.

Which is why we created programs like Toyota TogetherGreen, a partnership with the National Audubon Society that trains the environmental leaders of tomorrow. Engaged by nearly half-a-million participants and over $23 million in grants, Toyota TogetherGreen works to protect wildlife, conserve natural resources and improve water quality from coast to coast.

Environmental Report

Our North American Environmental Report covers all aspects of the vehicle life cycle throughout the Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands during the 2014 fiscal and product year. This report also defines our long-term environmental outreach and conservation initiatives as we continue to look toward a sustainable future of mobility.